All This Madness
by Gunning For the Sun
Summary: Clementine soon finds herself fighting harder for her life than she ever had after meeting the Crystal Gems. In an apocalypse, Walkers aren't the only danger. Being separated due to dumb chance might be the worst thing for any of them. Summary subject to change


I would have done AMC Walking Dead but they don't have Clementine (also I haven't seen past season 2 of AMC WD). Maybe they'll do a cameo… probably not though. Unless it's Glenn. I gots Glenn.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Warning: a bit of sadness, AU in which there's no magic

[-]

It was cold, so, so cold. Clementine curled in on herself, trying to bring warmth to her practically bare body. She had given up her coat, had insisted that little Jahan needed it much more than she did. She was almost ten and the snow wasn't so bad… she looked to Christa, saw the worried expression she wore on her face. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair.

Omid was dead, Christa was barely holding on and Jahan was sick. Oh he was so sick. She could hear his faint crying, being carried by the heavy winds that surrounded them. The place they were in was barely fit to save a rat from freezing and the layers surrounding Jahan wasn't working, wasn't enough. Christa had him close to her breast, her head bowed and her lips moved in a quick prayer.

It was too cold. The winds howled just inches away from them and sheets of ice sprayed them between cracks and holes. It would be a miracle if even the sun could melt even the tiniest of this. No, no. She had to keep hope. If not for her then for Christa and Jahan. That's what Omid would have wanted. They would make it. Yes, they would. It had to be close to daylight and once they could see, they would continue until they found somewhere with proper walls and maybe some sort of food.

Crap, now she was thinking about how hungry she was… and sleepy. Clementine's body jerked as her brain realized just how dangerous falling asleep really would be. She bit down on her lip as hard as possible. She didn't want to die like this, not waiting for the sun to bring some sort of respite. No, no. She wouldn't die. She was strong. That's what everyone said. That's what Lee said. And Omid and everyone else that ever dared to underestimate her.

She was strong. Christa was strong and with parents like Christa and Omid, Jahan was strong as well. They just had to stay awake, stay as warm as possible and keep breathing. Just keep…

[The Next Morning]

Clementine jerked into consciousness, horrified to realize that she had fallen asleep and yet she couldn't help but smile as she felt her heart beating in its chest. She squinted in the stray rays of sun that blinded her but grinned—she was alive, _they_ were alive. Clementine whipped her head around to shout joyously only to stop dead in her happiness. The woman was… tears ran down her cheeks and she clutched tightly to the tightly wrapped bundle.

"No, no, no. Please, please Jahan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Please, please breathe. Please baby, don't do this to mama. Please, I can't lose you too. I can't, I just can't," she begged to her silent child. Clementine felt her heart fall to her stomach. Wait no, this couldn't be. Jahan was just an infant, he was small and innocent. He didn't do anything to deserve something so… no, no. He wasn't dead. He hadn't even been alive long enough to know that death existed. Before Clementine could stop herself, she was up and across the room, nearly slamming into the distracted woman.

"Please!" Clementine bawled, grabbing Christa's arm. The woman let out a sound that could not have possibly been human and nearly backhanded Clementine as she turned on the girl wildly. Then she did strike her, causing the girl to fly clear to the other side of their meager shelter. Clementine rolled to her feet, cheek burning and turning red.

"This is YOUR fault! _All_ of this is your fault! How many people do you have to get killed, huh Clementine!? Everything you touch dies, everyone that tries to help you DIES! First your parents then Ben then LEE! They are all dead because of YOU!" the woman shouted, desperately holding her dead child to her chest while continuing her barrage of swings that weren't connecting but got closer and closer with each try. Clementine scrambled backwards and rolled on the hard ground to escape the mad woman. She had to do something! Christa let another unhuman shriek and tackled Clementine sloppily to the ground, pressing her heavy weight on the smaller.

"This is your FAULT! YOU KILLED MY OMID AND NOW THE LAST THING I HELD DEAR!" she started to pound down on the skinny arms that somehow managed to hold against the attacks. It hurt, it hurt! Christa was weakened by the cold and hunger but she was strengthened by madness. Clementine whimpered and struggled against the other, trying to buck her off. She didn't want to hurt Christa but she didn't want to get hurt either.

Christa was going to kill her.

"Stop it, please Christa you're hurting me!" Clementine begged. She shoved her arms upwards, luckily catching Christa in the jaw which allowed her enough wiggle room to get away. She crouched low, observing the broken woman who practically foamed at the mouth. Clementine needed something, anything to keep her former friend at bay.

Then she spotted it, just behind Christa was their one and only gun. And all at once, the thoughts began to pound at Clementine's brain, circling her in a taunting ring. Was the gun empty? They hadn't shot anything in weeks now but was that because it was empty? Or were they conserving their bullets for strict emergencies only?

Christa was clutching their only other weapon now. The bat still stained in walker blood was gripped tight in her grasp. Clementine felt shivers go down her spine and tears build in her eyes. She was so, so scared but she had to do something.

The gun was her only option. There was no way that she could overpower Christa, she was too small and too weak. Even with the dead… dead baby in her arms, Christa had a weapon. She needed it but how? The gun was behind Christa. The only way she could get it was going through Christa. She needed to distract her, for even a moment.

"Please Christa, I'm your friend. I would never hurt you or anyone else!" Clementine reasoned, holding up her hands. She tried to keep her eyes from the gun; she couldn't remind Christa that it was there. Not that it seemed to matter much. Christa only had eyes for her, eyes wide and red. Her breath came out in ragged gasps and her body was tight with the need to move.

In the silence that followed Clementine's words, in the way she took a step forward and Christa did not move, it was then that the young girl realized something. Christa wasn't being crazy or emotional. She was cold, sure in what she was doing—Clementine could tell in the way she looked her in the eye without a single flinch. She held the bat tightly in one hand and her child in the other. Her dead child. Jahan was dead. And now Christa was going to bash in Clementine's head until nothing remained but a bloodied pulp.

Christa was going to kill her.

"You've already have."

They both rushed forward.

[Probably a year later]

Clementine looked at the weasel, staring at the small fire she had managed to start. She knew it was risky having a fire but she also knew that she would starve if she waited another day. The rain was a light drizzle at the moment but it would probably get heavier and colder. Now was her only hope. Clementine forced herself to stand up and poke at the fire. The wood was wet, barely dry enough to hold a flame. She needed something that would make it bigger, something to keep her a bit warmer just to make it through the night. She sighed and pulled her bag from its hiding place.

She knew there was a lighter somewhere in it, had to be. She opened the small thing, her fingers gripping onto a picture. It was Lee, a torn photograph of him that showed an arm around his shoulder, probably a family member. Oh Lee… he… he should be here. She missed him, she missed him so much.

Clementine stopped herself from sobbing and focused on her mission. She needed something that would burn and while the picture was an option… Clementine shook her head, she had to find something else. This picture and her memories were the only thing that kept her going. She needed it. The next thing she came up with was a drawn picture, a bit yellow around the edges and a tiny bit faded but she could see the colors and image almost as if it had been drawn just yesterday. She had drawn it for Kenny and Duck, had found a small bit of happiness in a Hell that demanded too much of her.

"Maybe…" she whispered. She shoved it in her pocket as well. While she would regret burning the picture, she knew that something had to keep her alive and it wouldn't be the only thing of Lee that she had left. Oh God, she missed Lee so much. She missed him with every fiber in her body. Why did she have to be so damn stupid? Why couldn't she just stay with them and not trust some random stranger on a radio!? This was all her fault. She could be warm and with Lee, laying side by side with the secure knowledge that he would never leave her. He would never abandon her, would always hold her close and call her 'sweet pea' or 'Clem' or cut her hair or… or…

"You guys! I think we're lost," a voice shouted in such a way that it nearly echoed throughout the dense trees. Clementine stiffened and immediately grabbed her bag, slinging it onto her shoulders. She only had a bottle of clean water and some bandages left. The last thing she needed was to lose it when making a quick getaway.

"Steven, dude. We talked about this. We gotta stay on stealth mode until we're outta the forest of dooooom," another voice answered, not as loud but loud enough to worry the hidden girl. Clementine frowned, the voices were too close. They had to see the fire, had to know that someone was close by. The girl didn't want them to know that someone was close by—she was tired and cold. She didn't have the energy to fight anyone especially not multiple people.

"Oh look. That animal looks practically done!" a voice whispered excitedly. Clementine scowled and fought with the decision on whether or not to show herself. She could play on their sense of humanity. Clementine actually snorted at that random thought—what humanity did people have in this world nowadays?

"Stop. Talking. We _must_ be quiet. This food could be a family who are starving. Now. Let's. Go," the second voice responded evenly. Clementine was tempted to raise her head and see if she could spot the people speaking. She rarely heard such kindness except from herself. Even with the world like this, Clementine could never bring herself to hurt someone like that. It was worse than physical pain, taking something from someone with nothing.

"I… but Garnet. We don't even know where we are. Steven can barely walk anymore—he's cranky and I think he's getting a bit of a cold. Amethyst rolled her ankle and you haven't slept in three days. We need to stop and rest for just a while."

"I am pretty cranky when I don't sleep and Pearl's got a point when she mentioned my cold—my nose is running and coughing hurts just a little bit," the first voice admitted and Clementine could almost hear the way his cheeks puffed out and his face probably grew red.

"We will unpack our first aid and I will hunt for edible food when we are safe," the patient voice countered firmly and that seemed to be the last of it because they started to walk once more. They sounded weary, tired and one of them was limping. A tiny bit of compassion and guilt tickled at the back of Clementine's throat. She heard voices of past friends and enemies scolding her as she fought between inviting these strangers and staying hidden until they were gone.

She couldn't just let them leave.

"Wait!" Clementine shouted too loudly to have gone unheard, jumping to her feet. She clapped her hands over her own mouth to capture her yelp as she found herself practically nose to nose with a girl. Clementine jerked backwards and snatched up the dagger that never left her hip, never ever. She held it up threateningly but felt her heart skip a beat as her opponent straightened up.

This girl was much, much taller than Clementine. Her clothes were ripped and covered in many fluids but it showed off a body that didn't come without practice. Muscles rippled on her skinny arms, covered her slightly bared stomach and probably covered her trunk like legs. Although her hands were up in the air, it did not sooth the smaller girl. She couldn't see much of her face with the shiny glasses shielding most of it. The only thing she could make out were full, chapped lips in a straight line.

"Hiiiii," the stranger intoned, sounding rather forced and awkward. Clementine remained silent, attempting to catch her breath as she observed the others. The closest to make out was a tall (not taller than the amazon before Clementine), skinny, light brown Indian girl with a round face and a well-endowed nose. Her dark brown hair was cut shorter than Clementine's, barely touching her ears and her eyes were bright blue, wide open and darting everywhere. She was a bit beaten up, nervous as she shifted back and forth as though she wanted to throw herself in front of the dagger or remain where she was to protect the people slightly behind her. Especially the little boy who seemed to be fighting to get around her.

Clementine felt like a bit of a hypocrite calling him a little boy. He was probably around her age, short and stout with just a bit of baby fat left on his round cheeks and around his middle. He was peaking around the skinny Indian girl, probably trying to get a good look at Clementine. His short, curly black hair was covered in dust along with his clothes but his eyes were shining so bright and determined.

Then there was the last girl. Short, chubby and just as beat up and dirty, the Hispanic girl was smiling and bouncing on one foot. Her oddly tinged grey hair was, shockingly, practically long enough to touch her toes. It was completely unpractically in this fight for survival but she seemed confident as she tossed the wild hair over her shoulder and wobbled forward.

"Hey!" the girl waved, wincing as she descended on her aforementioned injured foot. She tried to keep the pain off her face but Clementine could tell that she was practically on the verge of crying as she continued to limp forward, ignoring the dagger and the skinny girl's protest. When she spoke, it was like she knew that Clementine wouldn't hurt her or her friends. But a lot of people didn't realize what Clementine was capable of.

"Um, forgive my sister," the skinny girl stated as she scrambled forward. She stopped the approaching girl by practically hurling backwards and threw down the duffle bag that had been on her shoulder. She looked from Clementine to the amazon and back to Clementine, carefully getting on her knees and slowly opening her bag.

"I know you trusting people isn't high on anyone's list but we have been walking for days. We're all really tired. Please may we share your food? We can contribute! Canned food." The girl shoved the flaps open to reveal the treasure within. Clementine immediately felt her mouth water and the dagger lowered just a bit. She barely twitched as the injured girl wobbled to the log that Clementine had been hiding behind and sat down with a heavy sigh as though nothing groundbreaking was happening.

"Is… is that _spinach_?" Clementine whispered as she stared at the gold like product. It was a treasure that she hadn't expected but one that she needed. When was the last time she had a vegetable that hadn't gone bad? She put away her weapon and held out her hand to the still kneeling girl, "My name is Clementine."

[fifteen minutes later]

"Oh no! We didn't introduce ourselves—I'M STEVEN!" the boy suddenly shouted, snapping his fingers. Luckily his mouth was full of weasel meat so it wasn't as loud but it still made Clementine flinch. She paused in eating her food at supersonic speed and looked around in the darkness of the trees. The others did the same, the boy tensing as he realized his mistake.

"Steven, honey. Please, we can't be too loud, remember?" the peach haired girl chuckled nervously, her accent coming out just a bit more.

"Yeah I'm sorry but we were being rude but it's serious Steven time," Steven puffed out his chest and Clementine fought the urge to laugh just a bit. It was… nice that someone was keeping a bit of sunshine in their pocket. Even though the sun hadn't really shone in years. The girl nodded and ruffled the boy's curls which caused him to blush and duck back into his food.

"Well Steven isn't wrong. We forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Amethyst. This my home girl G-man and that nervous nerd is Pearl," the chubby girl introduced herself and friends.

"Amethyst!" Pearl hissed, glaring at the other. Clementine felt another giggle start in her chest but stamped it down.

"Pearl. Amethyst. Stop it," the large girl (was Clementine really supposed to call her G-man?) suddenly commanded. Amethyst opened her mouth then sighed and slumped, her arm pressed firmly into Clementine's leg as she muttered words that Clementine did not understand under her breath.

"My name _is_ Pearl but I am _not_ a nervous wreck. It's just… you know… we… the forest isn't what we're familiar with. We come further south. Well not 'come from' the south sought to speak. We um—," Pearl seemed to lose herself to rambling until she was nearly babbling.

"We are the Crystal Gems," the large girl interrupted with a voice that said that the Crystal Gems were special. She waved a hand and it was then that Clementine noticed the bracelet and jewel hanging from her wrist. It was blue and Clementine wished she could get a better look at it but it disappeared when the girl folded her arms across her chest, food done. The tall girl offered no other explanation as though those words answered any and all of her questions—not that she had questions.

"Oh Garnet, how is Clementine supposed to glean anything from that?" Pearl poked her finger into the square afro then turned her attention to Clementine, "Crystal Gems mean nothing to you but it's what we call ourselves. We are on a mission to gather as many people as possible in an effort to save humanity."

Amethyst did a halfhearted salute and muttered something not very nice under her breath while Pearl did a sort of awkward jazz hands seeing as there was nothing else that she could do. Clementine tensed, having not considered that the girls she had extended her hand to could be crazy. Or thought she was stupid enough to believe that three little girls and a little boy was trying to 'save humanity'. They were just about as old as she was and she was struggling just to survive with each passing hour.

"I am thirteen," Garnet offered as though she could see what Clementine was getting ready to say, "Pearl is fifteen, Amethyst is ten and Steven is nine. We are not crazy and we are _highly_ trained."

"Hey! I think I might be eleven or maybe I'm turning twelve," Amethyst protested sleepily, food still going towards her mouth. Pearl and Garnet seemed to tense under her words and their eyes snapped to the grey haired girl. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and looked as though she wanted to apologize but wasn't sure if that would make it better or worse. Deciding that it would make it worse, Amethyst fell silent.

"What do you mean that you think?" Clementine was on the comment as quick as a lion with fresh meat. People sometimes pretended to be friendly, pretended to be heroes to get favor but they always slipped up. They forget tiny details or know too much detail. Clementine gently touched her dagger on her hip. Time was the only thing that saved most people from cracking under the pressure. She lost track of the date a long time ago but she never let the seasons go by too easily. It's how she knew that she was surviving. Her birthday was in the spring. It was when the flowers bloomed into beautiful colors, when the rain made it hard to disguise yourself as a Walker but covered your tracks from Crazies and wild dogs and the air smelled like happiness despite the chaos in the world.

"Oh that's… you know, you're awfully young to be out here by yourself… you don't have any family?" Pearl's voice brought her back to the present. In the late fall, almost winter. When the wind was starting to bite and the rain was chilling to the bone. When sleeping in the forest was nearly impossible.

"No. I did in winter past but not now…" Clementine responded, trying not to sink too far into her mind. These girls were strangers. She did not know them and she couldn't lower her guard. Pearl's face morphed into a familiar look of pity that most people gave her. She opened her mouth to say something but was stopped as the tallest held up her hand.

"I am Garnet. It is rather late. I am sorry Clementine but we must depart at first light," Garnet explained, "It is best if we attempt to sleep as much as possible. I will take first watch."

"Oh but Garnet, you've been watching over us for the past few days. You haven't slept for more than an hour," Pearl protested. The black girl offered no argument for her companion; instead she simply stood up and ruffled Steven's hair. The boy looked worriedly between Garnet and Pearl but stayed quiet as he curled on his side against the log Garnet was once sitting.

Garnet continued on a few paces away from the fire and stood at her post, face probably just as passive as it always was and eyes probably seeing _through_ the darkness with all the confidence she radiated. Clementine glanced at Pearl and immediately looked away at the helpless face. Her eyes were watering and her lip was trembling. She rubbed harshly at her face and curled into Pearl, burying her face in his black curls.

Pearl was sad—weak—disgusting.

"No," Clementine whispered to herself, burying her face into her knees. She didn't want to think that way—she didn't want to become like that. She wanted to stay with just a bit of innocence and light in her heart. She looked over to Amethyst who seemed to be using her hair as a pillow but she wasn't sleeping just yet although she was putting on a good performance.

"So how long have you guys known each other?" Clementine muttered under her breath. The Latina cracked an eye open and smiled just a bit.

"Garnet and Pearl knew each other from waaaayyy before the shit hit the fan—."

"Bullet for the swear jar!" Steven murmured sleepily.

"Sure thing kiddo. But yeah. I came along maybe a year into this wild shebang," Amethyst smirked.

"Has it always been just the four of you?" Clementine probed. She wasn't sure why but she felt like she could actually talk to this girl and she hadn't talked to someone in so long. She bit her lip to stay focused. She wasn't exactly looking for a slipup but she was prepared.

"No… there uh, there used to be a whole bunch of us. We were kicking asses and taking names—yeah, yeah little dude I'll put a bullet in the swear jar—but a lot of us didn't make it. These things are limitless and scary and the infection is in all of us," Amethyst twisted strands of hair between her fingers.

Clementine sighed, burying her nose in her knees. That was the same story for everyone. They started out with ten then it went down to eight, dwindled until there were five and then suddenly there were just three people left and the bloodshed became too much. Tears pooled in her eyes and she hurriedly brushed them away. She heard Amethyst shuffle towards her and then felt her presence.

She wanted to protest but it felt so nice. Their sides were pressed together and Amethyst hair was all she could smell as the girl rested against her shoulder and it only made sense for Clementine to lean against her as well. She was so warm and soft and smelled faintly of cotton candy. It was impossible for her to do anything but fall asleep.

[TBC]

First chapter. Yeah. Comments?

I'm not sure if I'll do any romance considering that

1\. Zombies

2\. Deaths

3\. These are children

4\. Zombies

Who knows?


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